Defect rating system and last session on the boards Ralph wrote something made my eye twitch

[brandeentertainment]

First my customer will suffer because i am now going to be way more focused on pleasing ebay then my customers ..

This happens to me 2-3 times a week and sometimes within days of shipping because they just want to ask a question and open a case instead and the answer below was from Ralph which normally I very much respect and a appreciate his help but in this case his answer show me lack of interest to help canadian buyers or lack of understanding how badly this needs to be corrected in order for sellers like me to stay a float ...

Thanks for your feedback on the relationship between opening cases and asking questions.

On this topic I should point out that yes, open cases do put a defect on the transaction but that if the case is escalated and eBay decides in your favour, the defect goes away.

99.8% of all my movies do not have tracking in other words 99.8% of the time I would not have ebay decide in my favor ( Most cases get closed by the buyer when they receive it but this answer is by no means even close to a resolution ...

YOU NEED TO PUT IN BIG BOLD LETTER IN BUYERS OPTION RIGHT AT THE TOP ... MESSAGE SELLER .. Problem solved so is ebay not willing to change this very small thing to help us ...

[femmefan1946]

So what happens if the case is NOT escalated, because the buyer is happy with the seller's respons, Ralph?

(BTW, is it Ralph or Raphael?)

[weaversofspeech]

Awhile back I received a 1  for an unreceived item case being opened

The dispute  was open  about a week and a half after I sent  the item out, should have not taken so long since it was within the province but things do happen to delay mail

Customer opened the case at approx 12:00 PM

I got home about 45 minutes later and saw it

Was in the process of writing the customer to tell him that I was refunding all costs back to him  as soon as I sent the email to him

Went back and refreshed the Dispute page to make sure I had all the details right

The case was closed.  No more than 55 minutes after the case was first opened

the item had  arrived in the mail  during that time (he emailed me to tell me so) and the customer cancelled the dispute

but still I received a 1 that will be counted against me for however ebay determines it to be

what utter foolishness

weavers

[brandeentertainment]

It's Raphael ...

Just was not happy with that because not only was it not helpful it was almost as if to say there is no real issue and there is and the fix is very simple ..

I have not once had a Canadian buyer EVER open a case without a message of some sort first and even if maybe 1 every couple of months but with my US buyers it is cases coming in at the rate of a couple INR received casea a week and 99% of them are just trying to ask for tracking ...

Why would ebay allow it's sellers to be punished because buyers want to ask a question?

This matter has been brought up to the ebay board members several times and nothing done not even recognition that it is an actual problem.

[recped]

it is cases coming in at the rate of a couple INR received casea a week and 99% of them are just trying to ask for tracking ...

If there is no tracking are you telling them upfront about that? If there is tracking are you ensuring they have the information and don't need to ask?

[brandeentertainment]

Sometimes I do sometimes it depends if I am on shift or not or if I had 10 order or 110 orders that day.. I do have in all listings to contact for shipping with tracking but even still all the messages and descriptions in the world has very little to do with why it keeps happening ..

I have never once asked a question and opened a case so why are my American buyers doing it after a couple days just trying to ask questions.. The answer is because the system set up has a flaw ...

i mean i have even had about 2 or 3 dozen buyers not even know they opened the case they literally thought they just asked me a question...

Many buyers do not have alot of experience and it is ebays job to tend to that Well also paying attention to it's sellers needs and not feeding me recommendations on how to deal or try to minimize and error that keeps happening due to there flawed set up .. 

i know they won't do nothing but wish they would because all the descriptions and messages in the world is not gonna stop them from asking simple questions .. Most of the time it is about the tracking but i have had a couple dozen opened for an array of questions that are answered in my descriptions .

[westernstargifts]

It isn't only the inexperienced buyers that are being duped into opening a case when trying to ask a question.

It has been mentioned on both the Canadian and U.S. boards.  eBay is not listening  will not listen.  

[recped]

---

@brandeentertainment wrote:

Sometimes I do sometimes it depends if I am on shift or not or if I had 10 order or 110 orders that day.. I do have in all listings to contact for shipping with tracking but even still all the messages and descriptions in the world has very little to do with why it keeps happening ..

I have never once asked a question and opened a case so why are my American buyers doing it after a couple days just trying to ask questions.. The answer is because the system set up has a flaw ...

i mean i have even had about 2 or 3 dozen buyers not even know they opened the case they literally thought they just asked me a question...

Many buyers do not have alot of experience and it is ebays job to tend to that Well also paying attention to it's sellers needs and not feeding me recommendations on how to deal or try to minimize and error that keeps happening due to there flawed set up .. 

i know they won't do nothing but wish they would because all the descriptions and messages in the world is not gonna stop them from asking simple questions .. Most of the time it is about the tracking but i have had a couple dozen opened for an array of questions that are answered in my descriptions .

---

You didn't really answer my questions.....

Here is what I suggest you do

Step 1 - Turn off eBay's shipping notices they send to buyers

Step 2 - Create your own Item Shipped notice and email it to all your buyers

Step 3 - Customize the email to include a statement that says if tracking is available or not and give an estimated delivery time suitable for the location you are shipping to.

Following these steps will eliminate a lot of the inquiries that you are getting.

i have had a couple dozen opened for an array of questions that are answered in my descriptions.

The only questions that open a case are "I haven't Received My Item" or "The Item I Received Is Not As Described".

[brandeentertainment]

You asked if I tell them and I said yes sometimes i do mostly when I am working I do not because I leave for work and get home 14hrs later then eat and put the kids to bed then go ship previous days parcels and come back and package that days parcels so there is no way I can message all my buyers when I am working ...

As for when I make sales that have tracking yes automatically using paypal labels..

I understand what your saying but still not even the point of the thread I do not want my buyers to stop messaging me .. I want them to stop opening cases without even knowing just trying to message me ..

[recped]

---

@brandeentertainment wrote:

You asked if I tell them and I said yes sometimes i do mostly when I am working I do not because I leave for work and get home 14hrs later then eat and put the kids to bed then go ship previous days parcels and come back and package that days parcels so there is no way I can message all my buyers when I am working ...

As for when I make sales that have tracking yes automatically using paypal labels..

I understand what your saying but still not even the point of the thread I do not want my buyers to stop messaging me .. I want them to stop opening cases without even knowing just trying to message me ..

---

What questions do buyers have AFTER the have bought and paid for a dvd?

[brandeentertainment]

yes sorry your right about the reason for cases opening ..Sometimes i go on rants and get a bit off course... I mostly INR and a couple dozen times INAD which all closed in my favor because once I pointed out they were as described the buyers close the case but it still doesn't change that they did not want to even open a case just message me ..

The Inad are being opened because buyer see the first picture ( Movie Watchers not book readers) of the front of the item which the artwork will say Blu ray DVD on the top banner but they do not look at the 2nd or 3rd picture showing the case open with Blu ray only and they also seem to be missing the Blu ray only in the title and Item condition and in desctiption so I get the INAD with the buyer saying there was no DVD in it but then I ppoint out the six places to see it and they usually just say sorry and close the case...

I had to a 2 or 3 times explain to buyers what a case is and how to close it now should I really have to do things like that ...

I know movies I sell movies .. Ebays over complicated system is but should not be anything I have to explain to my customers ..

CAN ANYONE TELL ME ANY OTHER SITE WHERE CONTACTING A CUSTOMER HAS BECOME COMPLICATED ...

It's a jk to me it really is stupid why would you make something so simple complicated .. Contact ... The seems to me the button press on millions of sites so does ebay thing this is a Revolutionary step the future of online communication

i do not go on .com ever but if i have had well over 20 case opened and the buyers just meant to message me that clearly tells me Something is wrong //

The solution is simple extremely simple and the problem  has nothing to do with sellers and how they describe or communicate with buyers .

[brandeentertainment]

When did it ship ...

That was new right

does that come with a slipcover

Is there a seal on it

is it blu ray or dvd

will in play in my player

when do you ship

when are you shipping

can you ship today it's a gift

Can you ship them all together

Is that the actual picture of the item 

Does it have French Writing on the front

Do you have this movie too

Is there tracking

it's been 3 days where my item

and on and on and on these questions come before and or after

[reallynicestamps]

You left out "Will I like this movie?"

[recped]

---

@brandeentertainment wrote:

When did it ship ... Send them an email when you ship so they don't have to ask

That was new right ... No defect here

does that come with a slipcover ... No defect here

Is there a seal on it ... No defect here

is it blu ray or dvd ... No defect here

will in play in my player ... No defect here

when do you ship ... No defect here

when are you shipping ... No defect here

can you ship today it's a gift ... No defect here

Can you ship them all together ... No defect here

Is that the actual picture of the item ... No defect here

Does it have French Writing on the front  ... No defect here

Do you have this movie too ... No defect here

Is there tracking ... You told them in your item shipped message if there is or isn't

it's been 3 days where my item ... You gave them an accurate shipping estimate in that email

and on and on and on these questions come before and or after

---

Most of the ones that could possibly cause a "defect" could be taken care of with the three steps I previous mentioned. Yes I know there will always be a tiny number of people who are clueless so you can never completely  eliminate every single possible defect scenario. That's why you don't have to be perfect, you only need to be 98% for TRS or 95% to stay out of danger.

What is your current defect rate?

[cumos55]

I have three different email formats indicating when a purchase will be mailed.

and they fall into 

(1) Shipping within Canada....  very simple ....when will it be mailed

-------------------

Thanks for purchasing this book.

Your purchase will be in the mail on Wednesday, May 14.

cumos55

(2) Shipping to the US can get complicated....

My email

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for purchasing this book.

Your purchase will be in the mail on Monday, May 12.

Should  take about 10  to 14 days, and sometimes longer if it gets caught up
in the postal system or in customs....

cumos55

-----------------------------------------------------------------

If they live across the border from Manitoba...  ie, Montana, North Dakota or Minnesota as examples..... I also add that the parcel has to go through customs in Toronto in the east or Vancouver in the west....

Florida may take the longest because it is the farthest from me based on Canada Post's US zones.

---------------------------------------------------------------

My email to international sellers gets a bit complicated...

---

Thanks for purchasing this book.

Your purchase will be in the mail on Tuesday, April 22.

Good Friday and Easter Monday are Canada Post holidays.  Tuesday, April 22
is the earliest this purchase can be mailed

Delivery via surface mail should take about 6 to 7 weeks,  and sometimes
longer if the parcel gets caught up in the postal system, or in customs.

A delivery time of 6 to 7 weeks is standard for countries such as the United
Kingdom and Germany.

Once delivered to the post office in Canada,  delivery  becomes the
responsibility of Canada  Post   and then the local postal service in
Germany.

The parcel will be fully insured, and with a tracking number, allowing one
to follow the path of the parcel as it travels through the postal systems.

If you have any questions at anytime, please do ask

cumos55

-------------------------------------------------------------

I rarely get questions after a purchase......  However, if I did on a routine basis would ask the buyer to respond to this mail date email....emails also have my real name... almost forgot to delete that for this message.

This works for me....

[cumos55]

Can you add a link to your contact seller page right at the top of each listing...

This used to be at the top right corner.... but is now at the very bottom of a listing..

Be very direct....

If you have any questions please go to the following 

http://contact.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?FindAnswers&redirect=0&iid=360887854989&requested=brandeente...

[cumos55]

If you have any questions please go to the following page

http://contact.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?FindAnswers&redirect=0&iid=360887854989&requested=brandeente...

Many questions are answered,  and if more information is required please click on ... Other 

[cumos55]

The link has to be non-specific  and not have a listing number in it.....

----------------------------------------

Perhaps point to the link at the lower left corner of the page.. at the end of this listing.... and state

Many questions are answered,  and if more information is required please click on ... Other... and state your question...

the objective to to direct all buyers to a page where they can ask a question  and not open a case.....

Communication is very important in you situation.....

Your FAQ section should work to some degree... Sometimes it is important to leave a line between each line of information... easier to read....

Also read the information in each answer...as if you are totally ignorant... and ask  ... What did that say?  Clarity!!!

You know at a different level than a buyer... What will he buyer learn from your answer......what does the buyer learn from the answer....

and example

brandeentertainment : Xbox 360 and newer plays DVD's 
DVD Players will not Play Blu rays 
PS3 and Newer Will play Blu ray and DVD 
Blu ray Players will play Blu ray and DVD

Requires more explanation... To me this is a difficult read....  sentences would help....  with some clarification....assume that the person looking for an answer  is like me.... totally ignorant of reality with respect to this information...

I was born BTV... Before Television

[cumos55]

An example of knowledge in reverse.

I know about 33's, 45's, and 78's... But my grandson would go ... HUH?

I had to "teach " him how to use a dial telephone...

You are in the reverse.....

You are a part of an electronic age that is moving quickly to new ways of doing "IT"

clarity, compatibility... concise answers...... for an ignoramus like me...

[cumos55]

I used to ship a lot without tracking.....  I have never stated  that tracking was not available....  that worked for me.....

I have assumed that stating that there was no tracking  for a parcel was a red flag  and was asking for trouble....

That is why I am very specific about delivery times... actual days  and not business days....

and if there are holidays such a Ester, Christmas, Labor day....  July 1, 4.... I add that information to my mail date email

What each seller does depends very much on what they sell....  and I have few questions... Maybe because of how I do communicate after a sale...  This has been developed over many years of practice...

I have actually received positive FB based on my way of communication.

The only time  that I do provide a stimulus for communication in my mail date email is for international sales.....   That is where my biggest problems were... but that was before tracking, and with small packet.....